To add cuc or not to add cuc

[domination2580]

K that works.

OK, so it's been a week maybe a little longer but ammonia is still up and no nitrites

 

[jetmaker]

OK, so it's been a week maybe a little longer but ammonia is still up and no nitrites

What test kit you using should have nitrite

 

[domination2580]

What test kit you using should have nitrite

Api and I have no nitrites

 

[jetmaker]

They say api are not very good I don't know I use red sea but if you have ammonia you should have nitrite.

 

[domination2580]

Hmm..unless I don't have the bacteria...I'll be picking some up today

 

[jetmaker]

Hmm..unless I don't have the bacteria...I'll be picking some up today

Let me know how it goes

 

[domination2580]

Let me know how it goes

OK, ammonia still says 8+ even with the bacteria in it since around 4. I think I'm going to do a water change tonight or tomorrow so I can get it down so not as hard or long.

 

[jetmaker]

OK, ammonia still says 8+ even with the bacteria in it since around 4. I think I'm going to do a water change tonight or tomorrow so I can get it down so not as hard or long.

Yeah ammonia should only about 3 or 4

 

[domination2580]

Yeah ammonia should only about 3 or 4

Yeah...I'll do a partial water change tonight or when I get a chance

 

[jetmaker]

Yeah...I'll do a partial water change tonight or when I get a chance

That will work

 

[domination2580]

That will work

Did water change, only 5 gallon and it seems like it's still the same....bigger water change?

 

[jetmaker]

K

 

[domination2580]

K

Any other options?

 

[jetmaker]

No just water change

 

[Maritimer]

Water change should help bring ammonia down, but if it's above 8, it could be 16 and you'd never know it. Change 50% of your water, and it'd still be at 8! I had a similar level of ammonia ... for a week or so - and then it dropped to zero overnight. Same with nitrite - deep purple test tubes for a couple of weeks, then one night it showed up as blue for just a moment. The next night, nitrated tested zero, and hasn't looked back. (Still working on nitrates, though . . . )

~Bruce

 

[domination2580]

Still at 4. It's been a few days now. How long should I wait for the ammonia to go down?

 

[TNT32D]

I had to read this because I had no clue what CUC meant lol

Now I learned to use ammonia to cycle rock! Thx!

 

[domination2580]

Well, after like 5 water changes I have what looks like 4 PPT of ammonia. What I don't get is why I have no nitrites. If bacteria is eating ammonia, it should be converted to nitrites which I still have zero. Why isn't my ammonia coming down and why isn't my nitrites going up? It's been over two weeks

 

[Maritimer]

Your bacterial populations may be small yet - once they get cranked up, they can knock the ammonia into nitrite pretty quickly . . .

 

[domination2580]

But why is it taking so long